ILS tips – The terminology trap
Are you confident that you’re clued-up on all the latest ILS terminology and abbreviations? With regular changes even the most experienced integrated logistic support engineer can fall into the ‘old’ terminology trap.
Why risk appearing off your game and being misunderstood? You can learn how to keep your ILS language skills up to date with our latest ‘Top’ Tips blog.
Plus, you can still check out Tips #1 – #3 to ensure you get things ‘right at the start’ of your support engineering project.
Tip #4 - Master any ILS language barriers
Keeping yourself up to speed with UK MOD ILS terminology isn’t so easy when your head is down in the detail.
It requires a little adjustment, especially when familiar terms and abbreviations like Logistic Support Analysis (LSA) are replaced by Supportability Analysis (SA). Also, there can be more significant changes, with new content included. Such as System Safety Assurance changing to Safety & Environmental Protection. Risk being misunderstood and appearing inexperienced if you don’t get it right.
That’s why we help clients master ILS language barriers. This ensures they are up to date with changes. Whether this is via project work with them, or our ILS training courses.
For a quick refresh download our free ‘Terminology Prompt Sheet’.
Tip #5 - Avoid stepping on the acronym minefield
Acronyms, as well as other abbreviations, are an absolute minefield of potential miscommunication! Yet most industries love them. It enables punchier communication, but with disciplines, like ILS, now being used in multiple sectors, the risk of misunderstanding is increasing, significantly.
It’s a fact of life that the same acronyms can mean different things to different people, in different industries. Plus, many are shared across industries.
For example, CBT – a common abbreviation for Computer Based Training, is also shorthand for Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Customer Based Training, Case Building Team, and the Chicago Board of Trade, amongst other things. Closer to home ILS, which we think of as Integrated Logistic Support can mean Instrument Landing System, on a plane, or Immediate Life Support, in a medical sense. It all depends on the context.
So, with acronyms and abbreviations unlikely to go away anytime soon keep updated with our ‘ILS Abbreviation Guide’.
Tip #6 - There are no stupid questions
ILS provides the discipline to deliver robust support engineering solutions. It is there to optimise project results and has proven effective at mitigating risks. But hopefully you can see from this whistle stop tour of ILS language that there are no stupid questions.
If you are using the wrong terminology, or don’t understand an acronym, this could result in miscommunication and a potential wrong turn in your project.
Questions enhance understanding, clarify any language barriers, and help you avoid the terminology trap. We believe asking questions, as well as listening hard to the answers, is an engineering and project management superpower.
So, don’t be scared to use yours!
Any Questions? With Quorum a problem shared is the start of a problem solved.
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